


10 Lightyears Away

by Linorien



Series: Q-branch Chronicles [8]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies), James Bond - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-06-06 10:06:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15192470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Linorien/pseuds/Linorien
Summary: A moment of reflection on the roof.





	10 Lightyears Away

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt table 007 - time travel

It was vaguely three in the morning and the third back to back mission had finally wrapped. As always, the original plan had them more spaced apart and the second one shouldn’t have needed his assistance at all.

Q had snatched a few cat naps in his office, but it only helped a little. R hadn’t gotten much more. But they were both too wired to sleep. So Q suggested stargazing. 

He made up too large mugs of hot chocolate and she grabbed blankets and they met on the roof. Side by side they collapsed on the ground and just stared at the great expanse above them. 

There weren’t too many stars, they were in central London after all, but it was a clear night and if Q looked hard he thought he could see one star in the little dipper. 

They lay on the cool concrete roof together in silence, neither one really up to talking. But after an indeterminate amount of time, R asked, “If I time travelled back 10 years, where would I find you?”

Q thought about that for a moment. “You have a secret project in the works?” he teased.

R huffed quietly. “I wish. No, I was just thinking about how when we look up there we’re seeing the past. All those stars, hundred of lightyears away.”

“Yeah,” Q agreed. He took a long sip of his hot chocolate. “Ten years ago, let’s see. I think you’d probably find me in my lab working on the EarWrym project. Trying to finish that up for my thesis.”

“That was you?” R asked. “I remember Q was impressed with that software once someone explained to him how the code remained hidden. We thought it was some guy in Hong Kong though.”

He shrugged. “Fake account. Even my advisor said it was too dangerous to patent it under my own name.” Q suddenly laughed into his mug and shook his head. “I remember Kendall came over and we brainstormed increasingly ridiculous names. She also insisted that I pose for pictures and she would use her editing skills to make me look Asian.”

“And?” R laughed and sat up when Q didn’t answer. She was grinning like a double-oh on a hunt. “Did it work?”

“God no,” Q scoffed. “I looked more alien than human when she was done. We agreed we’d never try it again.” He quickly steered the conversation before she could ask after the image. Unfortunately he knew his sister still had it. “And where would I find you ten years ago? Here at Six?”

R rested her elbows on her knees. “Yeah. I was a year away from being R still, but everyone knew the previous R would be retiring soon and I had been picked as his replacement. I think that might’ve been the first year I got asked to do the Lord Mayor’s fireworks. Otherwise not too much has changed in ten years.”

They fell back into silence again. Sometimes ten years can change a lot. You get new jobs, you make new friends. But sometimes you realise that what stays consistent might just be the important things in life. Whether it’s coding or writing or teaching, we hold on to those important things and we never let go.

**Author's Note:**

> This is also a bit of a celebration for me. It was 10 years ago today that I posted my first fanfic. I have grown so much as a writer and I am beyond thankful for all of the betas who have helped along the way.


End file.
